Report: North Korea to Soon Release Three US Prisoners

Early Thursday, reports emerged that North Korea was to release three US prisoners at some point in the day. Officials now say they aren’t sure about exact timing, but expect “very good announcements very shortly.”

White House officials say they can’t confirm the specifics of an imminent release, but did say they would welcome the move as a positive goodwill gestures. North Korea has been making a number of such gesture ahead of a planned summit between Kim Jong-un and President Trump

The exact date of the summit still hasn’t been set either, but most expect it in the next 3-4 weeks. After a very successful summit between North and South Korea, the Trump-Kim summit is expected to focus on a denuclearization deal.

The three prisoners is question had been held at a labor camp. They were relocated, according to media reports, to a hotel near Pyongyang, which is seen as a sign that a release is about to be announced. South Korean media confirmed the relocation, and speculated that there was already a plan in place for an announcement between the US and North Korean governments.